One of the most common conditions that 50% of men over 60 experience is BPH, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Benign prostatic hyperplasia happens when there is an enlargement of your prostate gland.

Although it is non-cancerous, you may still feel discomfort when you urinate, causing bladder, kidney, and urinary tract problems. This happens because when your prostate grows, it presses against the urethra, disrupting the flow of urine and obstructing the area.

When you don’t get proper treatment for your BPH, it may develop into more severe symptoms like blood in the urine, infections, kidney damage, and more. Thankfully, there are numerous treatments that you doctors can recommend, depending on the severity of your case. 

One of the biggest reasons people don’t seek medical treatment is that they don’t understand the complications of their conditions. If you want to learn more about BPH, keep reading. In this article, we’ve listed everything you need to know about BPH.

1. BPH is extremely common

Many people believe that men will deal with an enlargement of their prostate the longer they live. Although many are still unsure about BPH’s causes, medical experts agree that testosterone and aging are huge game players in this development.

If you’ve had your testicles removed at an early age, you will not develop BPH. Additionally, if you have your testicles removed after developing BPH, your prostate will begin to shrink as well. 

2. There are serious complications without treatment

Like any medical condition, if you have BPH and don’t seek treatment, you may have to deal with serious health complications. As mentioned earlier, symptoms may start as normal urinary infections, but as you grow older, these complications can be more complex and detrimental to your health.

3. It will affect your bladder

When left untreated, long-term BPH can cause your bladder’s wall to thicken, making it difficult for this organ to store urine. This happens because your bladder needs to compensate for the obstruction caused by your prostate gland’s enlargement, which disrupts the urine voiding process. 

Because the bladder’s wall is thicker, it affects the bladder’s cavity, making it much smaller and decreases the ability to store more urine. And since the capacity for urine is much smaller, you’ll need to urinate more frequently. When this worsens, and your bladder can no longer function properly, it may cause urinary retention.

4. BPH is not cancer and doesn’t increase your risk for prostate cancer

Although these two conditions involve the prostate gland, it won’t increase your risk of having cancer. This is why it’s important to get medical assistance and a proper diagnosis from your urologist to determine your exact medical condition.

5. Untreated BPH may lead to kidney damage, urinary retention, and infections

Because your bladder is overworked, it may damage the kidneys and cause infections to spread to other organs. Besides that, untreated BPH can also lead to acute urinary retention, meaning you can’t urinate at all even with a full bladder.

Additionally, when you don’t get treatment right away, BPH can give you severe UTI symptoms, which can give you fever and chills, requiring you to seek immediate medical attention. 

Conclusion

Although common, BPH may develop into a much more complicated case, causing you to have more health issues that could affect the quality of your life. So if you’re experiencing any discomfort, seek medical assistance from your urologist immediately and take necessary action to relieve you from this medical condition. 

University Urology Associates of New Jersey is a team of doctors recognized by fellow medical practitioners to be among the Garden State’s best urologists. Learn more about our practice and services today!

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